A Gentle Reminder
by Benevolent Goddess
Summary: CollinsAngel. Collins realizes too late that he's forgotten all about Valentine's Day and tries to make it up to Angel.
1. Rise and Shine

**Author's Notes/Disclaimer**: Yes, another Collins/Angel valentine extravaganza. This is just something that floated into my head at a late hour. If people are at all interested, I'll keep on writing. I don't own Collins, Angel, RENT, Valentine's Day, or any other random bit mentioned here. I got nothin'. It's not mine. Move along.

* * *

_Collins..._

He groaned, pulling the covers up over his head in a futile attempt to get away from the unwanted wake-up call.

_Collins? Honey, get up._

One eye opened. Slowly, he pulled the covers down to his chin and saw someone hovering over him. As his eyes adjusted to the morning light he saw it was none other than Angel, who was already half dressed, her make-up applied and her wig in hand. He glanced over at the clock and let out another groan as he saw what time it was. Seven thirty-five in the morning. Angel never woke up this early; she was known for being a heavy sleeper and not a morning person in any sense of the word. Immediately he wondered what was going on. "Girl, what are you doing? It's not even eight yet and you're all dressed up like we got someplace to go. Come back to bed, let me keep you warm."

She sighed, rolling her dark brown eyes in total exasperation. He was in for it now, whatever he'd done. "Honey," she began with a hint of frustration, "You seem to be forgetting what today is. It's special..." A playful grin tugged at her lips as she leaned in closer to him. He could smell the sweet perfume she loved to wear on special occasions, something that had now become his favorite scent in the world. "Guess what day it is." Now he was really confused.

"It's _Saturday_," he said as he stuck his lower lip out into the biggest pout he could muster. "And that's all the more reason to come on back to bed with me. We've got all day for guessing games, and I promise you that whatever it is, I'll figure it out. But it's early, and I-"

She pressed a finger against his lips to silence him, crouching down next to the bed so they were eye to eye. "It's Valentine's Day, sleepyhead, and I think it's in your best interest to get out of bed before you miss out on all the fun." She gave him a wink and headed out of the room without another word. Needless to say, Collins suddenly found the inspiration to move after hearing that.

Rolling out of bed with newfound pep, he went about his morning routine with a plan brewing in the back of his mind. He wasn't quite sure how he'd forgotten. It had crossed his mind several times the night before as he graded papers that Valentine's Day would be upon them soon, and he wanted to make it a special day for Angel. But once again his wandering mind had distracted him from dates and times, and he was caught in a situation where he wasn't sure how to react. This holiday was important to Angel. She was the most loving person out of anyone he knew, and deserved to be spoiled today. As he hopped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself, he decided that he'd set up a dinner date for tonight. Somewhere.

"Daydreaming?"

He'd hardly noticed her step into the room, but now his attention turned to her fully as she snaked her arms around his waist. "About you."

She let out a delighted giggle. "You don't have to daydream about me when I'm right here," she whispered into his ear.

A shiver went up Collins' spine. His seemingly innocent plans were starting to take a turn in a different direction altogether. He was about to voice his opinions on what he thought their very simplified agenda for the day should be, but Angel's lilting voice cut him off.

"I have a very special surprise for you, Mr. Collins. Go into the bedroom and close your eyes like a good boy." One of her hands pinched his side, a hint of amusement in her voice as she added, "And for goodness sake, honey, cover yourself up."

What in the world was she talking about? Collins looked down and to his surprise, his towel was now missing. It was a disappearing act that completely defied logic, that is until he caught one last glimpse of Angel sashaying out of the room, swinging the towel as she went. Whatever this surprise was, he had a distinct feeling it was going to be good.


	2. Maybe She's Dressing

**Author's Notes/Disclaimer**: So writing this took a while. It's no masterpiece, but I felt that I had to get this out of the way before the really amusing stuff comes along. Bare with me. Nothing has changed from last time, I still don't own any of this and I still don't have any money. Suing me would be pretty pointless. Oh, and this chapter is just slightly risque. If you don't like that, then I guess you'll just have to tune in next chapter. Blame my inner Angel for it.

* * *

Always being the one to obey Angel's orders, Collins quickly got dressed and sat down on the edge of the bed. He was still scolding himself for not having bought flowers or a card, or for that matter anything that would make Angel smile. So far, she was the one doing special things for him and it was eating away at him. He'd pick up the phone, he told himself, the first chance he got. He'd make a reservation for dinner at an expensive restaurant, then bring her home just in time for a relaxing bubble bath. It all seemed so perfect, so romantic. Angel would have to love it.

"Are your eyes closed yet?" Angel called out from somewhere in the hallway.

Bringing his hands up to his face, he answered. "Yes, baby. Can't see a thing."

The next thing Collins heard was the bedroom door opening, and the clicking of heels on the hardwood floor. He smiled, though he wasn't sure what view he was about to be treated to as he opened his eyes. "Tom, baby?" she purred. "Open 'em."

Collins didn't need to be told twice. He opened his eyes, beaming, but that bright smile quickly morphed into a look of utter confusion. There was Angel, dressed in white from head to toe. A white turtleneck, a short white skirt, and white leather boots that reached her knees. Nothing about that getup was unusual for Angel, but what threw Collins off was the pair of wings she was sporting. And the silver bow and arrow that was pointed directly at his forehead.

"The fuck?"

"Thomas Collins!" Angel exclaimed, hands moving to her hips. "Watch that mouth! Don't you like my outfit?" All traces of anger seemed to disappear as she struck a pose for him, lifting one leg daintily off the ground as she aimed her arrow at the ceiling. "I'm Cupid."

Collins let out a sigh, mostly out of relief that the rather sharp looking arrow was now pointed elsewhere. "Your outfit is magnificent, Ang."

Apparently she was satisfied with that response, a smirk appearing on her full lips. "Isn't it? It's just for the occasion. If you behave, Cupid will even shoot you with her love arrow."

Collins was about to bring up the fact that Cupid was male, but all logical thought left his brain as Angel once again pointed the arrow straight at him. In a sudden state of panic, Collins snatched the arrow from her and hid it behind his back. Seeing Angel's nostrils begin to flare, he quickly made a save. "Baby, I've already been hit with the love arrow. How 'bout you come a little closer and see for yourself?"

Angel smirked, falling victim to the simple charm he possessed. It wasn't the first time. She leaned in close and was met with a gentle kiss. Seating herself comfortably on Collins' lap, the kiss deepened and quickly became passionate, with Angel proceeding to knock Collins back onto the bed and straddle his hips as their tongues explored each others mouths.

Surprisingly enough, it was Angel who broke the kiss. She looked quite pleased with herself, adjusting her wig slightly as Collins lay on the bed panting. "Honey," she began. "I ought to go take these silly wings off before we go and break them. I worked too hard on these to let them be broken! You stay here and try not to miss me too much."

"But Ang, you can't just –"

She smirked, tracing lazy circles on his chest with her fingertips. "Don't give me that sass, I'll be right back. Just a quick trip to the closet, and on the way back I'll stop in the kitchen so we can take turns feeding each other chocolate covered strawberries."

Collins began to protest again but didn't get far, Angel's lips pressing hard against his.

"Now Collins, honey, do realize that it's not even noon yet. The day's hardly begun. We'll have plenty of time to pick up where we're leaving off right now, don't you worry yourself over it one little bit."

She'd won. Collins could only sit up and watch in mild amusement as Angel gathered her Cupid props and bounced out the door. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps it would be a good time to make that restaurant reservation, but that was pushed aside as soon as he entertained the thought of sharing chocolate covered strawberries with his girl. She was right, after all, there was plenty of time to make some silly phone call. He'd get to it. That is, he'd get to it after he had his breakfast in bed.


	3. Take Me Out Tonight

**Author's Notes/Disclaimer**: Between school, being Tituba in my school's production of "The Crucible", and other such things I have not had much time to sit down I didn't have time to write this. Well, correction, I didn't have time to _upload_ this. It's been done for weeks. Forgive me for the delay! Nothing has changed from last time, I still don't own any of this and I still don't have any money. Suing me would be pretty pointless.

* * *

After their impromptu breakfast in bed, Collins and Angel lay together in various states of undress. Angel was resting her head on Collins' chest, nibbling away lazily at one of the leftover strawberries, quite content with the world as she listened to his breathing. He shifted underneath her, earning a small pout. Another movement and Angel sat up.

"You're reminding me of a dog with fleas, the way you're twitching around down there."

Collins merely grunted in response, his mind completely elsewhere. The damn dinner reservation. He knew from teaching college students that procrastination never paid off, so he was now determined to get his priorities straightened out. He had to get the reservation out of the way before he completely forgot. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, but didn't get much farther than that before Angel grabbed his wrist.

"Honey, don't get upset!" She scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder as she looked up at him with large brown eyes. "I didn't mean you were a smelly dog, honest."

It took all his will to keep a straight face. "No, it's not that. There's something I forgot to do. You just wait right here and I'll take care of it."

Angel thought about this prospect for a moment, her tongue darting out to wet her lips as she looked him over for the slightest trace of anger in his expression. After coming to the conclusion that he wasn't mad at her, she nodded. "You better come right back though."

He promised he would do just that, and then set off down the small hallway from the bedroom to the living area. The phone was tucked away in the corner of the room, sitting on a multicolored stool that couldn't be mistaken for anyone's but Angel's. In fact, the small apartment _was_ Angel's. Not having a place to stay save for Mark and Roger's loft, Collins had quickly been taken into Angel's eclectic living space, where stacks of fabrics were piled in organized chaos and everywhere a person turned there was a palette of loud colors and an array of odd shapes that were as pleasing to the soul as they were to the eye. The living area was the most confusing room of all, with posters of musicians and models tacked up on almost every wall, making the canary yellow paint fade into the background. The phone, as stated, was placed on one of Angel's latest haggling victories, and this is where Collins sat as he held the phone in his lap.

"Shit," he muttered. Where was he going to call? He vaguely remembered a few of the nearby restaurants' phone numbers, but none of them were as formal as he'd wanted. Hopping off the stool, he rummaged through the stacks of magazines and books on the coffee table, finally finding the most recent phone book. Flipping through it, he came across a small Italian bistro that was somewhat close by, just a subway ride away. On second thought, Collins pondered, it would be a bit more romantic to splurge on a taxi ride. Angel always thought taxi rides were adventurous. He made note of that, then set about dialing the number.

A few rings. Finally, someone picked up and began the spiel that one always hears when calling a fancy place of business. "Hello, thank you for calling Mario's Fine Italian Cuisine, this is Patricio speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hey," Collins said cooly. "I'd like to make a reservation for –"

The heavily accented voice, Patricio, cut him off. "Tonight? I'm very sorry, sir, but we're booked all night tonight. It's Valentine's Day, you know."

Collins sighed, wanting to protest, but quickly realizing how futile it would be. "Thank you anyway."

He marched back over to the coffee table. The phone book was full of restaurants, he'd find one. In fact, he did find another one. It was French this time, and he fathomed that Angel would probably be more impressed with a French restaurant anyway. He glanced at the number and was about to return to the phone and dial it when a voice rang out from down the hall.

"Honey?" Angel was getting impatient, he could tell by the tone of voice she was using. He'd have to hurry up. "Were you talking to yourself just now?"

"No, my dear, just stay tight for a few more minutes." He hurriedly dialed the phone and waited for someone to pick up.

"Le Chien Mort," said another thick accented male voice. "How may I assist you?"

Collins cleared his throat, an attempt at sounding professional. "I would like to make a dinner reservation for tonight. Uh, Collins, party of two."

There was a long pause, and Collins would have thought that the voice had hung up if it weren't for the buzz of the restaurant in the background. Finally the voice began to speak once more. "I'm so sorry, but zee tables are already booked for tonight. Zee next opening we have ees early tomorrow evening, but today ees Valen–"

"Yes, I know it's Valentine's Day. Isn't there any table open? Could you put us on a waiting list?"

Collins could almost hear the glare the man was giving on the other end of the phone. "I am very sorry, but zee restaurant ees completely booked! There will be no exceptions!" Click.

"He hung up on me," Collins stated to no one in particular as he set the phone down. "That stupid bastard hung up on me, and now I'm completely screwed."

"Who on earth are you talking to?" Angel's thin brows were knit in concern and confusion as she cautiously made her way over to him, feeling his forehead as she squatted next to him.

"No one."

Angel just shrugged, an awkward silence forming between the two of them. She began to twirl a few strands of her wig around her finger, but then her stomach began to growl loudly. She looked slightly embarrassed, but then burst into a fit of giggles, burying her face into his chest.

"So where are we going for dinner tonight?"

"I, uh... There's, um, this one place that's near here..." Collins sputtered.

Angel smiled and gave him a knowing look before placing a hand on his shoulder. "The Life Café it is then, darling. Fabulous choice."

Collins exhaled deeply. Although he'd screwed up yet again, she still wasn't mad at him. It was beyond Collins' understanding as to how she dealt with a scatter-brained philosophy professor such as himself, but bless her, she did it with a smile on her face. Angel stood and smoothed the back of her skirt, giving him a flirtatious wink before moving to the couch. He looked at the clock. It was almost noon now. He wasn't going to give up hope just yet. He'd make it up to Angel. He just had to.


	4. Dinner at the Life

**Author's Notes/Disclaimer**: Finally getting around to updating this thing again. Hopefully people are still reading it! Kudos to everyone who caught the Akita Evita reference in the last chapter... The things you'll find when you pay close attention, huh? I (still) don't own anything here. I (still) don't have money. What I do have is candy I'm selling for the drama department, so if you'd like to buy some... Well. Just read the story and we'll call it a donation.

* * *

For the first time in his life, Collins found himself staring into the full-length bedroom mirror clad only in his boxers as he wondered what he was going to wear to dinner. He never put much thought into dressing. Usually, one of two things would happen. He would either find whatever clothes looked clean, sniff them once just to make sure, and wear them, or he would consult Angel. The latter happened more often for obvious reasons. On this particular occasion though, Collins wanted to do it himself and surprise her.

"Think sophisticated," he muttered to himself. This wasn't anything like lecturing on Heidegger or Rousseau, and suddenly he had a newfound appreciation for Angel's everyday routine. He certainly couldn't pull together outfits like she could.

"Did your pants eat you in there or what, honey?" Speak of the devil. Or rather, the angel.

"Almost ready," he called out. He glanced over at their bed, now covered in various articles of clothing, and sighed. There had to be a method to doing this. He grabbed his favorite pair of jeans and pulled them on, then a plain white button up shirt. Almost begrudgingly, he spied the black vest Angel had purchased for him on his birthday. He hated that vest. It made him feel old and stuffy even when Angel made comments on how handsome it looked on him. Well, it was Angel's turn to be made happy now, so he put it on over his shirt. The worst part was, he had to admit it made him look a bit thinner and maybe even a bit taller. He grabbed his infamous black skull cap and pulled on his boots, heading toward the door just as Angel opened it.

"I was getting ready to send in a search party, I hope you know," she said, walking in wearing her best Valentine's Day attire - a black turtleneck, short pink skirt, and her favorite zebra print stockings. She was dressed to kill.

"I wanted to look my best for you," he said as he motioned to the vest.

A huge grin spread across Angel's face and she let out a squeal, launching herself into his arms. "I always told you how good that vest made you look! What a gorgeous man I have here."

Collins couldn't help but blush the slightest bit, looking down at his scuffed boots as he grinned. Angel's compliments always made him feel like he was fifteen again. "Are you ready to head out?"

Angel nodded, trotting past him and into the bedroom. Collins knew by now what she was doing, and smiled as she fell into routine. A pat of her wig, a glance into the mirror placed atop her vanity, a smack of lips to check her lipstick, and a wink from her reflection to his. She quickly sorted through her menagerie of earrings, picking out a pair that fit the occasion – ones with several silver and pink hearts that hung low like a chandelier. Now hands would sweep down her chest to rest on her hips as she made one final inspection of her outfit. The routine was endearing, and he'd come to notice the smallest details about it, like the way she cocked her head to the side just as she placed her hands on her hips. Did she do this to check her figure? Probably, he thought, though he wasn't sure why. His baby was perfect.

Before he'd snapped out of his daze, her small hand was seeking out his larger one. She was leading him to the door and was saying something, although he only tuned in in time to hear the last sentence of her speech.

"And don't forget your coat, honey. It's going to be chilly out."

"Girl, you must be crazy if you think I'd forget that."

As soon as they were outside, Collins went to hail the cab. It was as if he'd jumped into the flames of Hell to declare his love for her. Angel was completely shocked, and not to mention very giddy, at the thought of a cab ride all the way to the Life Café. It was something he would have had a hard time understanding if he didn't know Angel to the extent that he did. To her, the simplest thing could become a fantastic adventure. Taking a taxi cab to dinner was just one thing on a very long list. She'd clung to his free arm as his other one flailed in the air, her small frame shivering a tiny bit from the cold as she watched his breath come out in puffs when he shouted. Eventually a cab slowed to a stop and they got in, and he'd started to watch her reactions the moment they'd pulled away from the curb.

Angel sat quietly, nose practically pressed up against the glass for the longest while. Her eyes were fixated on the scenery passing by, which wasn't much. There were lifeless trees and miserable looking people milling around. Winter left everything looking severely muted, most of the color being provided by storefronts displaying their goods, along with paper hearts and such in honor of the holiday. She turned to him with a bright smile, pointing out the window. "Isn't this so much fun? It's the most romantic thing."

Collins' brows shot up incredulously. This was romantic? The cab itself smelled vaguely of whiskey, the driver was listening to country music and hardly spoke a word of English, and on top of all that they'd sped through red lights twice already.

"It is."

Sometimes it was just best to agree rather than to bring up the harsh truth. Angel tended to border on ignorance to the untrained eye, but Collins knew she just chose to not acknowledge the things that could possibly dampen the mood. She wanted to live, not be held back by limitations. _Life is shitty, but things could be worse_, she'd said once. _I've found the one person in this world who could save me from being alone. Talk about giving destiny a little bitch slap._ Angel was optimistic to say the very least. With such amazement toward every little thing around her, the ride didn't seem long.

She was also right about one other very important thing. It was extremely cold outside, and Collins quickly herded her inside the Café. Warmth and the smell of good food flooded over them both, and Collins wasted no time in taking off his coat and draping it over his arm. He placed both hands on Angel's hips and guided her over to the host, a rather uptight looking man who seemed almost reluctant to seat them.

"I, uh..." He adjusted his glasses and suddenly Collins remembered him. "Tonight's probably, um, not a good night to be causing a ruckus, sir..."

Collins nodded sympathetically, but as he did so he let a hand slowly move down Angel's thigh. She giggled, and the host looked down with an uncomfortable smile. The hand was now slipping underneath the fabric of Angel's skirt, and she bit down on her lip to hide the grin threatening to take over her face. Suddenly the playful expression was gone, and the host looked on with a very disturbed twitch of his lips as Angel let out a soft moan.

"There's a table in the back."

Collins and Angel exchanged a look and moved on past the flustered man, making their way to the very isolated table in the rear of the café that was usually left open for Maureen when she decided to show up – specifically when she decided to bring Joanne along with her. The staff had become accustomed to finding specific spots to keep the group of bohemians out of trouble, and Collins felt a bit proud he'd been upgraded to the groping table.

Angel sat, smiling angelically as she placed her hands in her lap and let Collins push the chair up to the table. She brought a hand up to brush a few strands of the wig out of her face, and leaned in close as she squinted her eyes. "I expect you to finish what you started back there, sweetie."

"Dessert," Collins said simply as he adjusted his cap.

"With a cherry on top if you're extra good to me."

Their conversations often went from innocent to sexual to very deep with little to no warning, so when Collins reached across the table to grab her hand and kiss it, there was nothing strange about that. They both grinned. "I love you," he said softly.

"_Igualmente_," she cooed. Collins had insisted on Spanish lessons about a month earlier, stating that he learned the basics in high school and could easily pick it back up. He got frustrated when it came time to conjugate verbs, and that's when the lessons ended, formally at least. She had told him he wasn't putting enough effort into it. He countered that his brain was already bogged down with English and Latin. She just smiled and said they'd continue when he was going to be less stubborn.

"_Mi novia hermosa_," he replied with a smug smile, as if to impress her with his retained knowledge.

"Collins, baby? _Me hace caliente con su pasión y yo quiero desnudarse sobre la mesa._"

Of course, if Collins spoke the language fluently he would have known that she had just expressed her desire to throw him down on the table and get him naked, but he didn't so he just smiled as he absently played with the fork in front of him. "Very romantic."

She said nothing, just tipped him a wink and began to fiddle with her own silverware, polishing the spoon and looking at herself with it as the waiter came by to take their drink orders. Sitting in the back of the Life Café at a table Maureen and Joanne had probably fornicated on wasn't completely up to par with what he'd planned, but he was slowly becoming assured that the night would live up to his expectations – and more importantly, hers.


End file.
